Getting to know Co-Workers through Corporate Team Building Events

A genuine leader knows not to trust the phrase "there's no "I" in team." This phrase suggests that team members should put group goals and interests before their own goals. The problem is that each team member has his/her own agenda, and the leader must show each team member how the goals of the team mesh with the team members’ goals.

The analogy of a train yard comes to mind used by a motivational speaker that I once had the pleasure of listening to. A train yard is filled with train cars, each filled with valuable cargo and each with a particular destination. The cars, though, are unable to get to their destination until the locomotive, or leader, connects with each car to move them along toward their destination. In other words, a leader must connect with each team member or else the level of doubt and mistrust that remains will prevent the leader from moving the group forward to attain the desired goal.

In corporate society, exercises for building teams are becoming quite popular. These games give coworkers a chance to get to know each other better, build trust, and communicate better. Each person has their own unique talents and personalities. Team-building exercises blend people’s unique personalities together and strengthen the team. The leaders will step forward, the dreamers will come up with good ideas, and detail-oriented people will ensure that the mission is accurate.

Team building activities can be quick and simple games done in the office or they can be elaborate exercises executed at expensive resorts. Businesses and individuals will find both types useful. For instance, one game, "Two Truths and a Lie," is popular and inexpensive. Each individual will tell one lie and two true statements about themselves. The other players try to guess the lie. By playing this, people learn new and interesting things about their co-workers.

The Video Scavenger Hunt is a bit more costly. Each team receives a video camera with instructions to record various transactions with predetermined point values. For example, if a team member shakes hands with a police officer, the team receives 100 points; if a team member walks a stranger's dog, the team receives 150 points, etc. The activity has a limited recording time and there is a round of activity questions to determine the winning team.

One tasty team-building idea involves professional chefs teaching teams to cook using teamwork. This team building exercise is not only enjoyable; it strengthens relationships and communication skills too. Once the cook-off is over, they get to taste their achievements. What a palatable team building exercise!